Paraguay: Vice Minister lied about 'Jimmy' Villaverde despite signing his appointment

Asuncion, Paraguay – Paraguay's Vice Minister of Communications, Alejandra Duarte Albospino, faces mounting scrutiny for allegedly lying about her ties to Juan Roberto "Jimmy" Villaverde, a former official linked to a government "dirty campaign." Documentation submitted to the Chamber of Deputies appears to confirm that Duarte not only knew Villaverde was part of the Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies (Mitic) but also signed his appointment as a director.

This contradicts Duarte's earlier statements to the press, where she vehemently denied any association. In a televised interview on May 7, she stated, "I want to be very clear about this. He does not hold any position in the state today, nor did he hold a position in Mitic." However, Mitic Resolution No. 615/2023, submitted as part of an information request from the Chamber of Deputies, lists Villaverde as "Director of Training and Human Rights" within the Vice Ministry of Communications, directly under Duarte's purview. Duarte, acting as the substitute minister on October 20, 2023, signed this resolution.

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I want to be very clear about this. He does not hold any position in the state today, nor did he hold a position in Mitic.

The situation has become increasingly murky, implicating high-ranking officials including President Santiago Peña and Mitic Minister Gustavo Villate, who were on a trip to the United States at the time of Villaverde's appointment. The government has been attempting to distance itself from Villaverde, who is allegedly connected to a "dirty campaign" scheme. Duarte's alleged deception, despite possessing the document confirming Villaverde's directorship, deepens the controversy.

During the same interview, when pressed further about Villaverde's connection to Mitic, Duarte continued to deny it. "And I can make it very clear that he does not hold any position in Mitic... He was not here, he is not part of the Mitic staff. He may have been at a meeting in the party, at Mburuvichá Róga, here he is an activist who is always around," she claimed. The existence of the signed resolution, however, directly refutes her claims and places her in a position of having knowingly misrepresented Villaverde's role within her ministry.

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And I can make it very clear that he does not hold any position in Mitic... He was not here, he is not part of the Mitic staff. He may have been at a meeting in the party, at Mburuvichá Róga, here he is an activist who is always around.